2017 Delaware Valley Young Engineer of the Year Kazi M. Hassan, PE

Kazi Hassan is a transportation project engineer specializing in roadway design. He was born in Bangladesh and came to America at the age of 11. His parents believed in his and his sister’s potential and wanted them to have access to better educational opportunities available in this country. He attended school in Bensalem and received his Bachelor of Science degree in Civil Engineering from The Pennsylvania State University. He was the first person in his entire family to complete an engineering degree.

Mr. Hassan is a Highway Supervisor in the Transportation Technology at Pennoni Associates, Inc., at its headquarters in University City. He has been with Pennoni for the past eleven years. His interest in roadway design started during his internship at the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation. He always had the desire to be an engineer and realized the enormous contribution he could make to the society by being a Civil Engineer and being able to design infrastructure for future generations. This gave him the motivation to continue his Civil Engineering degree and pursue a career as a Transportation Engineer. He currently holds professional licensure in Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and Delaware.

At Pennoni, Mr. Hassan has had the opportunity to work on several high-profile projects. His most memorable project, and his very first one, was the reconstruction of Germantown Avenue in the Mount Airy section of Philadelphia. This included the design of roadway realignment, trolley tracks, water main, sanitary and storm sewer, gas main, lighting, landscaping, and maintenance and protection of traffic. He considered the complex project an opportunity to gain experience in the various aspects of civil engineering, all of which interconnect and are necessary for the success of any project. Since then, he has worked on a variety of projects for both public and private clients, including the I-95 Cottman-Princeton Interchange, the widening of the Pennsylvania Turnpike in Bristol, the Navy Yard Master Plan, several award-winning Chester County bridges, the University Avenue Concept Plan, and two roundabout designs in Burlington County, New Jersey. His most recent project is the Vine Street Expressway Bridge rehabilitation, which encompasses the superstructure replacement of seven bridges and various roadway improvements. This $65 million effort is currently under construction.

Mr. Hassan’s managers realized his potential very early on. His passion, commitment, and professionalism spoke for itself and has left an impression on all those around him. As the firm’s work increased, he was tasked with overseeing additional staff and was promoted to Highway Supervisor.

Mr. Hassan recognized his own leadership skills during his time at Pennsylvania State University. He was very active in his Social Service Fraternity, Delta Sigma Iota, where he held numerous board positions, including President. He was heavily involved in THON, which is Penn State’s dance marathon event aimed at raising money for Pediatric Cancer.

Mr. Hassan’s involvement in extracurricular activities continued after college. He took an active role in joining the Younger Members Forum (YMF) of the Philadelphia Section of the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE). Over the course of his ten years of involvement in YMF, he has managed various social, educational, and community service related events in the Philadelphia area. In 2012, he helped to start Pennsylvania’s first Civil Engineering ClubTM at the Chester A. Arthur School in South Philadelphia, one of only ten such clubs that were nationally recognized at the time. His efforts in YMF were recognized at a national level when it received the 2014 Peers Group Award. In addition, he serves as a Director on the Philadelphia Section ASCE Board and is active in the Engineers’ Club of Philadelphia, the American Society of Highway Engineers, the Women’s Transportation Seminar, the Young Professionals in Transportation, and the Delaware Valley Green Building Council.

Mr. Hassan received several personal recognitions in the last few years, including the 2014 Young Civil Engineer of the Year from the Philadelphia Section ASCE and one of the Top 40 Under 40 Transportation Professionals from the Greater Valley Forge Transportation Management Association, also in 2014. In 2015, he was awarded the Young Civil Engineer of the Year in the Private Sector by the Younger Member Council of ASCE, given to one individual from the Eastern region, which includes all states east of the Mississippi. He also recently accepted an Adjunct Faculty position for Drexel University for a PE Exam preparatory program

Mr. Hassan finds time to be active in his community. He helps to fund raise and volunteer his time at his local religious chapel. He also helped his father plan the 2014 North America Bangladesh Convention at the Greater Philadelphia Expo Center. He and his wife Ria live in West Philadelphia. In his spare time, he enjoys playing basketball, biking, and watching the Eagles, Sixers, and Phillies.